The following relates to printing systems and methods. It finds particular application to structures that improve print quality. More particularly, it is directed toward structures that use viscous materials for variable data printing. However, other printing techniques are also contemplated.
Offset printing is a printing technique in which an inked image is transferred (or offset) to a rubber blanket and then to a printing surface. When used in combination with a lithographic process based on the repulsion of oil and water, the offset technique typically employs a flat (planographic) image carrier on which the image to be printed obtains ink from ink rollers, while the non-printing areas attract a film of water, keeping the nonprinting areas ink-free. In other instances, the ink can be applied with a blade or squeegee, as is practiced in the gravure printing process. The ink used for offset printing typically is a highly viscous tar-like material with excellent opacity and little tendency to wick or bleed into the fibers of the paper. The resulting image typically is associated with relatively high image quality (including a sharper and cleaner image than letterpress because the rubber blanket conforms to the texture of the printing surface) and can be formed on various printing substrates (e.g., paper, wood, cloth, metal, leather, rough paper, etc.). However, offset printers generally are inflexible in that every page typically requires a new master.
Variable data printing is a form of on-demand printing in which elements such as text, graphics and images may be changed from one printed piece to the next without stopping or slowing down the press. Thus, variable data printing enables the mass-customization of documents. For example, a set of personalized letters can be printed with a different name and address on each letter, as opposed to merely printing the same letter a plurality of times. This technique is an outgrowth of digital printing, which harnesses computer databases and digital presses to create full color documents. However, the image quality of conventional variable data printing typically is inferior to that of offset printing. This is due at least in part to the differences in the ink used. Because offset printing ink is highly viscous, it typically cannot be ejected from ink jet printers or the like.
Thus, there is an unresolved need for systems and methods that facilitate producing higher quality images with variable data printing.